Apparatus and method for cutting out a vehicle glazing panel

ABSTRACT

A winder unit is provided for use with cutting wire in cutting out a vehicle glazing panel. The winder unit includes first and second winder spools spaced apart from one another, where the winder spools are configured to wind the cutting wire. The winder unit further includes a suction mount for mounting the winder unit, wherein the suction mount comprises a single suction device only. And the winder unit further includes at least one wire guide element spaced from the winder spools, wherein the at least one wire guide element is mounted with respect to the winder unit so as to be adjustable in position or orientation with respect to at least one of the suction mount and the winder spools.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/883,396, filed onMay 3, 2013, which is the national stage entry of PCT/GB11/52164, filedon Nov. 8, 2011, which claims priority from GB 1019753.1, filed Nov. 22,2010, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a vehicle glazing panel cut outapparatus and method.

The invention particularly relates to a technique using a cutting wirein order to effect release of the glazing panel, such as a windscreen,from its mounted position in the vehicle windscreen frame. The techniqueand cut-out tool of the present invention is also applicable to use onother bonded glazing panels.

2. State of the Art

Prior art is known which uses wire winder spools mounted on a singletool in order to effect cut out of a vehicle windscreen or side glass.Exemplary arrangements are disclosed in, for example U.S. Pat. No.7,618,023 and WO2006030212.

An improved technique and apparatus have now been devised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a winderunit for use with a cutting wire in cutting out a vehicle glazing panel,the winder unit having:

-   -   first and second spaced winder spools for winding cutting wire;    -   a suction mount for mounting the unit, wherein the suction mount        comprises a single suction device only.

It is preferred that the first and second winder spools are spaced to bepositioned one on either side of a diameter line of the suction mount.

Beneficially, the axes of the winder spools are positioned within aspace defined by the projected diameter of the skirt/membrane of thesucker mount.

In a preferred embodiment, the winder spools are mounted to the suctionmount at a position over the body of the suction device.

In one embodiment, it may be preferred that the winder spools aremounted on a common deck which is secured to the single suction device.

The foregoing technical features, either alone or in combination definean arrangement which is compact and efficient to use.

It is preferred that the unit includes at least one wire guide element(preferably a rotatable guide element—such as a pulley wheel) spacedfrom the spools.

Desirably, first and second wire guide elements are provided, arespective guide element being positioned outwardly of each of thewinder spools.

In certain embodiments, it may be preferred that the wire guide elementis mounted with respect to the unit so as to be adjustable in positionor orientation with respect to the winder spools.

In such an arrangement, the wire guide element may be pivotably ortiltably mounted so as to pivot or tilt with respect to the winderspools.

It may be preferred that the unit is provided with a handle spaced fromthe winder spools. This ensures that the winder spools can be placeclose to one another, because the unit can be lifted at a handlepositioned other than between the winder spools.

In one embodiment, the unit is provided with a pair of substantiallyparallel handles each to be gripped by a separate hand of an operator.

The, or each, handle may extend transversely to a line extending betweenthe winder spools.

In one embodiment, it is preferred that the unit includes a pumpactuated suction device. According to a further aspect, the presentinvention provides a method of removing a vehicle glazing panel (such asa windscreen or side glass) using a winder unit as defined herein.

The invention will now be further described, in a specific embodiment,by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the apparatus similarto the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, the cut out apparatus comprises a wire winderunit 1 which has a single suction mount 2. Mounted on-board the singlesuction mount 2 is a pair of spaced winder spools 3, 4 and pair ofspaced rotatably mounted guide pulley wheels 5, 6. The single suctionmount 2 enables the wire winder unit 1 to be releasably and securelymounted to the vehicle windscreen (typically on the inside of thevehicle). The winder spools 3, 4 are spaced to be positioned one oneither side of a diameter line of the suction mount.

The suction mount 2 comprises a rigid plastics cup moulding 7 and anunderlaying flexible rubber sucker membrane 8. The flexible rubbersucker membrane 8 extends beyond the periphery of the rigid plastics cupmoulding 7 in order to enhance the suction capability of the suctionmount 2. A suction device actuation/release lever side handle 9 enablesconsistent suction to be applied and released. As an alternative, it ispossible that a pump actuated suction mount 2 could be employed.

The suction mount 2 is formed to have integral spaced side handles 10,11. The side handles 10, 11 extend substantially parallel to one anotherand in a direction transverse to the direction of spacing between thewinder spools 3, 4.

The winder spools 3, 4 are provided on board a winder spool mountingdeck 14 which is bolted to the suction mount 2. The deck 14 carries thepair of winding spools 3, 4 in side by side relationship such that thewire receiving reel 4 a is underslung below the deck 14. The winderspools 3, 4 are connected to axial winding shafts which are supported inbearings provided on the deck 14. The winder spools 3, 4 are drivenaxially rotationally either manually via a hand winder or by means of amechanical actuator such as a motorised winding or winching tool. Drivebosses 19 are provided with female sockets (square bores) for receivingthe male driving tool. Positioned outwardly of the winding spools arerespective wire guide pulley wheels 5, 6 of low friction plasticsmaterial. The pulley wheels are mounted to be rotatable about respectiverotational axes. The guide pulleys rotate as the cutting wire is drawntangentially across the pulleys as will be described. The winder spools3, 4 are held to rotate in one direction only (each in opposite senses)by respective ratchet mechanisms 13. Each mechanism includes ratchetoverride permitting prior tightened wire to be slackened, or unwound(reverse wound) the ratchets can be overridden by pulling out theratchet release knobs 13.

The guide pulley wheels 5, 6 are mounted to the rigid plastics cupmoulding 7, by means of pulley wheel mounting arms 12, which are boltedto the rigid plastics cup moulding 7. In one embodiment, the guidepulley wheels 5, 6 are mounted by means of the pulley wheel mountingarms 12 in order that pulley wheel mounting arms 12 (and hence the guidepulley wheels 5, 6) can be tilted about a pivot 15 with respect to thesuction mount 2 and the winder spool mounting deck 14. This enables theposition of guide pulley wheels 5, 6 to self align (tilt in direction ofarrow A in figure wire winder unit 1) and provide a self adjustment as aresult of windscreen glass curvature.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a pair of mounting bolts 16 are usedto secure the pulley wheel mounting arms 12 to the rigid plastics cupmoulding 7. In such an embodiment the pulley wheel mounting arms 12 donot pivot or tilt and accordingly, the guide pulley wheels 5, 6 remainfixed (apart from being rotatable) with respect to the winder spoolmounting deck 14.

In use, the arrangement can be used in a generally similar manner to thewinder unit described in FIGS. 9 to 1 of WO2006030212. Initially aflexible cutting wire is looped around the outside of a windscreenglazing panel to lie peripherally adjacent the bonding bead (typically apolyurethane bonding bead) which is sandwiched between the glazing paneland the support frame of the vehicle. Opposed ends of the cutting wireare fed through a pierced channel made through the bonding bead and thefree ends are then each wound around a separate winder spool of thewinder unit.

The glazing panel can as such be removed using a wire and the winderunit 1 only (no additional guide is required). In this technique thewinder unit is initially secured to the steering wheel side of theglazing panel, positioned above the steering wheel. With the winder unit1 in position as described, the cutting wire is looped around theoutside of the windscreen to lie peripherally adjacent the bonding beadwhich is sandwiched between the glazing panel and the support frame ofthe vehicle. Opposed ends of the cutting wire are fed through a piercedchannel made through the bonding bead in the corner of the windscreenbelow the position of the winder unit.

A length of the wire is pulled through to the interior of the vehicleand passed around pulley guide wheel 6 and secured to the reel 3 a ofwinder spool 3 of the winder unit. A free end length of wire is pulledthrough, being of length sufficient to reach the upper left hand cornerof the glazing panel. Winder spool 3 is then operated to cause the wirelength to cut through the bonding bead upwardly along the side of thewindscreen, until the cut line has passed around the upper right handcorner of the screen. At this juncture, the unit is removed from thescreen and repositioned on the glazing panel in the upper left handcorner.

Prior to repositioning the winder unit 1, the ratchet of winder spool isreleased by means of the release knob 13 to permit the wire to be woundout from the winder spool 3 as it is moved across the glazing panel tobe repositioned. The ratchet is subsequently re-engaged and spool 3 onceagain operated to wind in the wire.

Next the unit is moved around the corner of the glazing panel andthrough substantially a right angle, where it is secured to the glazingpanel. In order to enable this to be achieved, the ratchet of spool 3 isagain released and subsequently re-engaged. The end of the free lengthof wire is then wound around pulley 5 and connected to winder spool 4and the spools operated either sequentially (or simultaneously) tocomplete the cut. The lengths of wire cross in order to complete thecut.

An important improvement over the prior art is that a single suctionmount 2 only is used and that the pair of winder spools 3, 4 are mountedon board the single suction mount 2. The axes of the winder spools arepositioned within a space defined by the projected diameter of the skirtof the sucker mount (that is the diameter of the sucker membrane 8extends laterally beyond the position of the winder spool axes). Thismeans that the space taken up on the windscreen by the wire winder unit1 is reduced and also a single actuation only of the suction mount 2 isrequired, saving time and effort.

By mounting the pair of winder spools 3, 4 directly over the flexiblerubber sucker membrane 8 of the suction mount 2, a suction mount 2 oflarge enough diameter to produce sufficient suction force can be used.In using the prior art apparatus as shown in, there is a risk that ifone of the pair of spaced suction cups is not fully energised, the otherhas sufficient suction to hold the winder unit fixed in position whenthe wire is not under tension, but fails when the wire is tensionedduring the winding process.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A winder unit for use with a cutting wirein cutting out a vehicle glazing panel, the winder unit having: firstand second spaced winder spools configured to wind cutting wire, whereineach of the first and second winder spools is configured to rotate abouta corresponding axis of rotation and each of the first and second winderspools has a corresponding coaxially positioned drive formation, andwherein each of the first and second winder spools is configured to berotationally driven at corresponding drive formations; and a suctionmount for mounting the unit, wherein the suction mount comprises asingle suction device only.
 2. A winder unit according to claim 1,wherein: the first and second winder spools are spaced on either side ofa diameter line of the suction mount.
 3. A winder unit according toclaim 1, wherein: the winder spools are mounted to the suction mount ata position over the body of the single suction device.
 4. A winder unitaccording to claim 3, wherein: the winder spools are mounted on a commondeck which is secured to the single suction device.
 5. A winder unitaccording to claim 1, further comprising: at least one wire guideelement spaced from the spools.
 6. A winder unit according to claim 5,wherein: the at least one rotatable wire guide element is rotatable. 7.A winder unit according to claim 5, wherein: the wire guide elementcomprises a pulley wheel.
 8. A winder unit according to claim 5,wherein: the at least one wire guide element comprises first and secondwire guide elements positioned outwardly of each of the winder spools.9. A winder unit according to claim 5, wherein: the wire guide elementis mounted with respect to the unit so as to be adjustable in positionor orientation with respect to the winder spools and/or the suctionmount.
 10. A winder unit according to claim 9, wherein: the wire guideelement is pivotably or tiltably mounted so as to pivot or tilt withrespect to the winder spools and/or the suction mount.
 11. A winder unitaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a handle spaced from thewinder spools.
 12. A winder unit according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a pair of handles each to be gripped by a separate hand ofan operator.
 13. A winder unit according to claim 1, further comprising:an elongate handle extending transversely to a line extending betweenthe winder spools.
 14. A winder unit according to claim 1, wherein: theaxes of the winder spools are positioned within a space defined by theprojected diameter of the single suction device.
 15. A method ofremoving a vehicle glazing panel comprising: providing a winder unitaccording to claim 1; and using the winder unit to wind cutting wire inconjunction with cutting out the vehicle glazing panel.